The invention relates to display hangers for suspending products, such as hand tools, for convenient display, e.g., in a store or workplace.
A conventional display hanger 10 for handing a screwdriver S on a display rack is depicted in FIGS. 10-12. The hanger 10 comprises a plastic paddle-shaped body 12 having an aperture 14 for receiving a hook (not shown). The body 12 includes a downwardly projecting tongue 16 having a pair of arch-shaped elements 18 projecting outwardly from a front face 20 of the tongue 16. Each arch-shaped element 18 forms an internal arch-shaped pocket 22 which is open upwardly, downwardly, and rearwardly. The pockets are open rearwardly by means of openings 24 formed in a rear face 26 of the tongue. Each pocket is sized to receive a circular rubber O-ring 30. The width W of each pocket is smaller than an outer diameter of the O-ring 30, causing the O-ring to be compressed and held by friction fit when installed in its pocket.
The O-rings 30 are manually installed, whereupon their center holes 32 are longitudinally aligned so that an article having a shaft, such as a hand tool (e.g., a screwdriver S, socket driver, etc.) can be installed by longitudinally pushing the shaft through the aligned holes. The article is thus held by friction fit in the O-rings to enable the hanger to be suspended from a hook on a display rack.
The act of assembling the O-rings into the pockets is awkward because the O-rings are small and hard to grasp. Also, due to their thinness, the O-rings may tend to twist when placed under compression during installation, thereby further hindering movement into the pocket.
Since the hangers are intended for single (i.e., non-repeat) use by the manufacturer (although the purchaser might continue to use them to hang articles such as tools in a workshop), they are made in large numbers. Hence, it would be particularly advantageous to make the assembly process for the hangers easier and quicker, as well as to reduce the overall cost of the elastic holder.